New Orleans has seen some things in recent years and not much positive but this is something which has galvanised a community and then spread around the world.
What began as a way for locals to record their hopes and aspirations soon became a way of bringing the neighbourhood together and soon got national awareness, so far similar walls have popped up in Brooklyn, Amsterdam, Portsmouth and Lisbon to name just a few.
There is a lot of art on the walls around London, some of it means fuck all but something like this could have been a great thing post London riots to help with communities understanding of one another. Post those events there was a whole lot of misunderstanding as to why the riots happened and who was to blame…. Maybe this is a bit idealistic of me but….
Usually when people ask me what is my ideal women, I reply one with no tits and a big cock, but if I was offered a date / shag / candle lit dinner for two with la Moss then the absence of a rather large appendage would not worry me one bit. This may be due to the fact that I read this weekend that she has her own large silver bullett…
Natural
I digress, so basically she is my idea of a great women for numerous reasons
1. Model and beautiful
2. Brilliant style away from the catwalk
3. Shags rock stars
4. Has shagged Johnny Depp
5. Likes a party
6. Not afraid of an orgy
7. Wicked sense of humour
8. Knows her strength is the look… a wise man once said ‘why open your mouth and speak then confirm you are a fool’ or words to that effect
9. Girl knows her music
10. Came out with the quote…’Nothing tastes as good as skinny looks’ Whether this was said in jest or not, I care not. It is a great soundbite and one I have quoted before…
One drawback may be her mothering skills but we have no evidence of this and the kid will grow up cool and independent right?
Cover star
Anyways… pretty lazy post but following the visually striking Dazed & Confused exhibition I finally got around to seeing on Sunday at Somerset House, it reminded me of how stunning she is and how she was quite a regular in that rather defining publication.
I may have said I was bored with QR codes but…. here is another use for QR codes – Creating a FB style comments wall that users can add to. Could be great for Secret gigs / events to send people to venues or as a tool to share information about an area. Citizen Tourism
dems ugly but dems lets y'al go on that there web thingy
The future is here, see for yourself. The glasses that allow you to see virtual content, go online and even play video games. Will also result in numerous people walking into walls, under buses etc…
Hockney using iPad to create and display his art – discussing how his world and the way he creates art has changed with technology and how he is never without his iPad
Rankin – Now he may be a bit of a so and so at times but you cannot deny this guy is the boss when it comes to portrait photography. I have a few of his books and visually the shots are amazing as there is a real story to each one and he captures a moment like no one else I have seen. He can makes things unbelievably sexy or extremely dark or painfully morose or any other number of emotions.
His latest venture is Hunger Magazine, which as you would expect is painfully cool in terms of look, feel and content and in an age where everything is digital it is nice to be able to buy something to hold. i-D has helped launch, shape and chart the creativity of numerous people in its 20 years and Hunger may well have the same sort of influence.
I am not tech-head… It has taken me a month to get used to using a Mac again at work and still prefer my Apple computers at home. My iPhone is my saviour but I suspect I only know 50% of what it does, I still use my iPod 3 and when it comes to watches I stick to simple Casio digi watches (of which I have 15) after my run in with those pesky Tokyo Flash watches and not being able to a) set the time myself and b) able to tell it after a few beverages.
But…
I reckon this is something I need in my life… iPhone 5 concept
Woman or man, young or old, gay or straight, drug addled or hung over, every self-respecting (ahem) person has done the walk of shame before. There is no way of hiding it from those ‘normal’ folk who have had their 8 hours sleep and are dressed in day attire rather than the remnants of last night’s fabulous outfit. Sunglasses and a Capri Sun are a dead give-away in December…
I did not post this sooner as I had my work Christmas do last week and was enjoying my long walk of shame. I am just getting back in the swing of things, so props to Harvey Nicks who have created this witty and playful video depicting the walk of shame travelled by glamorous women in their party frocks. It is perfect for a viral video for knowing urbanites to send around to their friends but would not work as a campaign on TV or in a glossy mag, it amuses while avoids alienating.
Working in Marketing for x years means a part of job has always been about coming up with ideas, swapping thoughts with others and trying to create something which will excite, motivate or mobilise consumers. This is the part which has always interested me, the part that motivates me to do well, sometimes the bit that stops me from jacking it in and going on a 20 year traveling jaunt to create a supremely leather tanned body suit with no white bits.
What really surprises me and disappoints in equal measures is that some people go into a brainstorm or approach a brief with all the negatives and constraints rather than thinking about what is possible.
My latest role is at a very well respected, very well run agency with some good clients. I’ve been tasked with bringing some fresh thinking and a different approach to creativity and idea generation. I have been involved in a few brainstorms already and have witnessed just how easy it is to kick off on the wrong foot just by the negativity of a few people, this usually results in others losing confidence to say things and the final ideas are uninspiring and lacking any wow factor.
As the new creative lead, I present my initial recommendations on changes which include some simple changes like bringing visual stimulus to the room, inviting external people, thinking of the problem through the eyes of other people, plus a few tried and tested brainstorming techniques, but in honesty maybe the simplest solution of all is to ban those who are going to bring negative can’t do attitudes…. Can I start banning people already?
Musicians are more and more reliant on getting in to bed with brands, they have to, the music industry just does not have the money that it used to. Most of the music people I know are totally aware of this and activity encourage it, artists coming out now are looking for ways to extend their brand beyond just the music. Beit a line of hats, a clothing range, a scent even a travel company.
For the last 5 years, I’d say about 85% of brainstorms I am in will have an idea which includes a music star in some way or another, if you do an event, you need entertainment, if you are selling a mobile it will often be with exclusive music from blah blah and so on. Nowadays it is fine to work with brands but you have to find a cutting edge, new, interesting and credible way to do it. The idea needs to add to the consumer experience so it does not appear to be a sell out.
Refreshingly bottled
Lucozade have teamed up with Aurasma in a campaign devised by Billington Cartmell to offer exclusive content on the actual bottle. Artists such as Tinie Tempah and Plan B have designed a bottle each and when viewed through an Aurasma app the consumer gets to see lots of exciting shiny content. Obviously for the fan to get the full experience they then have to click through to the next stage, therefore deepening the consumer experience. Not rocket-science but smart and drives actual product sales.
In a previous life I had a similar idea… but better of course… ha ha. Until I find a vehicle for it I ain’t giving it up tho StaFac-ers!
I was not aware of the ‘Alternative Miss World Competition’ until recently and it feels like it should be something I learned about at school, albeit a very bohemian lefty school where cross dressing, outrageous make-up, sexual cheekiness and crazy loud eclectic music are the norm.
The Alternative Miss World Competition first took place in 1972 when maverick artist Andrew Logan put on what is basically the anti-Miss World, taking the elements of the better known version but subverting it so that anyone could enter regardless of age, sex, size, shape, sexuality and talent, it was all about expression and inspiration. Maybe the best part of the contest was that it was not so much about winning but celebrating diversity, creativity and fun, Logan created something amazing and all because he never knew of any reason to not express himself
Every entrant created wonderful home made costumes in the theme of morning, day and evening wear. Each had weird and wonderful names and walked the catwalk to fantastical music and no little amount of camp draggy theatre.
What made it even more interesting was that it was always a family affair with his 4 brothers mucking in to build, manage and even drag up for the show. His sister has been the only contestant to enter every time it has been staged.
Tea anyone?
The tiny screen 2 at the ICA was the perfect setting to watch The British Guide To Showing Off with fellow dress fancy fans, we were even in the company of two people who had attended many of the events throughout the years as contestants. If you missed it then gutted darling!
Every guest gets their own hot man to carry you too
It puts to shame the fancy dress parties I go to… although my 30th is around the corner so maybe not…. watch this sparkly space!
Down under the Police have decided, if you can’t beat them, join them. In a rather bold move masterminded by M&C Saatchi the New Zealand Police have taken to their creating their own street art in order to try and recruit new cops.
Cop this
In theory I like this as it subverts the norm and could actually bring the establishment some more understanding and kudos…. but then again there is the flipside. For one it maybe smacks of hipopcracy, does this mean that people caught spraying graf in NZ will be commended on their line work? Secondly, the designs created by Otis Frizzell are hardly original and pretty much rip off work by Banksy…. how much kudos would that give your average savvy graffiti artist?
You never know what is around the corner
In other news Police in London were spotted skinning up L plates in Brixton so they can get the numbers on the drug squads up and in Amsterdam the female officers are wearing their uniforms for ‘evening work’ in the Red light district offering an extra special service.
standardfact 
